Turkey Puts Pressure on U.S. In Wake of Failed Coup, Grounds American Jets Fighting ISIS

Barely a day after appearing to survive a coup attempt from the military, Turkish officials made bellicose demands to the United States on Saturday and grounded the American jets that had been launching attacks against ISIS, hinting that without getting their way, the planes may be grounded indefinitely.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday demanded the United States arrest or extradite an exiled Islamic cleric he said was the root cause of the attempted coup. The cleric, Fetullah Gulen, lives in Pennsylvania.

“Any country that protects Fethullah Gulen will be an enemy to Turkey,” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday.

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The initial United States reaction was delivered by Secretary of State John Kerry, who said a formal request for extradition would need to document proof of Gulen’s involvment.

“We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr. Gulen,” Kerry said. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey, as we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny. And the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments about it appropriately.”

Turkish officials, however, were adamant.

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“Dear Mr. President: I told you this before,” Erdoğan said Saturday, directly addressing President Barack Obama. “Either arrest Fethullah Gulen or return him to Turkey. You didn’t listen. I call on you again, after there was a coup attempt, extradite this man in Pennsylvania to Turkey. If we are strategic partners or model partners, do what is necessary.”

Turkey’s leverage to get Gulen centers around Incirilik air base, used by the United States to launch its air attacks against ISIS in Syria. As long as Turkey keeps American planes on the ground, it can frustrate American plans against ISIS and cripple American strategy in the region.

The initial reasoning given for grounding the planes was to ensure no rebel planes were flying. But then the base became a pawn in the Turkish attempt to get Gulen

#Erdogan: “US have to give us #Gulen if we are to cooperate together.” In meantime, 1,500 Americans at #Incirlik can’t go in, out or fly.